Self-equalizing suspension tackle for elevator cars



June 19, 1934. P. LA NEVE 1,963,706

SELF EQUALIZING SUSPENSION TACKLE FOR ELEVATOR CARS Filed May 1, 1935 2Sheets-Sheet 1 2 l3 {4 /f /i 17 26 6 'INVENTOR fl /er LIA eve (F Ifuf'wm ATTORNEY June 19, 1934. P. LA NEVE 1,963,706

SELF EQUALIZING SUSPENSION TACKLE FOR ELEVATOR CARS Filed May 1, 1933INVENTOR I e/er Zd/K'z/e J15- ATTORNEY Patented June 19, 1934SELF-EQUALIZING SUSPENSION TACKLE FOR ELEVATOR CARS Peter La Neve,Brooklyn, N. Y. Application May 1, weas l-m1 No. 668,727

This invention relates to elevator operating devices and moreparticularly refers to improvem'entsin suspension tackles, comprising aplurality-of cables, such as are used to connect an elevator car withits counterweight.

In elevator installations each elevator car is generally connected to acounterweight by means ofa plurality of cables, arranged to ride over asuitably grooved suspension drum or drums. In installations of this kindit is essential that the weight of the car and the counterweight be atall times equally distributed between the various cables. To this end, anumber of different equalizing devices have been proposed, allpresenting as a common characteristic the possibility of longitudinalshifting of any one cable with respect to the others.

However, in devices of this kind it is not only sufiicient to providefor a maximum flexibility and a positive and sensitiveequalizing'action, but it is also imperative that a maximum factor ofsafety be provided for at all times. The possibility that one of thecables might break before the others must never be lost sight of; ifthis should happen, due to uneven wear or other causes, it is extremelydesirable that the equalizing action remain unimpaired and that theweight become evenly distributed between all of the remaining cables.

The primary object of the present invention is to so arrange a pluralityof cables between an elevator car and its counterweight that the loadwill be at all times equally distributed between the various cablesandsuch longitudinal slipping of any one cable with respect tothe othersthat should occur during the operation of the car, due to slightvariations in the diameterof the grooves within which the cables aremade to travel, or other causes, will be readily and instantly taken upby the other cables '50 as to equalize the tensionto which they areindividual- 1y subjected.

Another object-of the invention isto; so connect a plurality ofsuspension cables'to the elevator car and to its counterweight, thatshould any one cable break or otherwise become ineffective, all of'theremaining cables will 'instant- 1y become adjusted to the newconditions, so that the load will become uniformly distributed amongsaid remaining cables.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will more fullyappear as the description proceeds and will be set forth and claimed inthe appended claims.

invention is illustrated by way of example injthe accompanying drawings,in which:

Fig. 1 is a detail side view in elevation, illustrating the connectionbetween a six-cable tackle and the top of-anelevator car frame;

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the topplate of'said carframe,showing the arrangement of the rocking levers;

Fig. 3 is a detail side view in elevation, illustrating the connectionsbetween the-tackle and a counterweight;

Fig. 4 isa plan view of the top plate-of the counterweight structure;

Fig. 5 is a' detail side view in elevation, illustrating my invention asapplied in connecting to an elevator a tackle comprising an unevennumber of cables; a

Fig; 6 is a detail plan view of the top plate of the elevator car shownin Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is-a'detail side view in elevation, illustrating the manner ofconnecting theother end of the tackle of Fig. 5 to the counterweight;and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic illustration Y. of an alternative form of myinvention as applied in connection with an elevator carand itscounterweight.

According to my'invention, each cable has each one of its ends connectedby means of an equalizing element such as, for 'instance, a rocking orequalizing lever to one of the ends of another cable, insuch a mannerthat all the cables form in effect a continuous cable passing back andforth between the elevatorcar and the counterweight in a closed circuit,all the ends of all ofthe cables being thus connected to theelevator'car and to connected and a shank 19 having its outer end 20threaded so as to receive an adjusting nut 21.

The take-up elements 12 -and 13' are interconnected by arocking-lever'22 interposed therebetweemsaid rocking lever beingpivotally mounted" at 23 onto a forked bracket 24 depending from plate10. In the construction illustrated,

the shank portions 19 of the take-up elements #12, 13"," are 'caused-to-pass through the opposite ends of rocking lever 22 and to be slidablyand resiliently connected thereto through the intermediary' of pivotalbushings 24 and springs, such as 25,- interposed'be'tween said pivotalbushings and nuts 21.

The other end of cable 12 is'similarly provided with a take-up element12", consisting of a head 27', to wh'ich the cable is permanentlyconnected, and a shank 28, having a threaded end 29 provided withan'adjustin'gnut 30.

Said shankis' slidably and pivotally connected to one of the arms of arocking lever 31, pivotally connected at 32 to a forked bracket 33,depending from plate 11. Said rocking lever 31 is, in its turn, formedwith two depending brackets 34, 35, to which are pivotally connected at36, 37, two rocking levers 38, 39.

The other end of cable 13 is similarly provided with a take-up element13", the shank portion of which is slidably and pivotally connected toone of the ends of the rocking lever 38. The connection between eachshank and its corresponding rocking lever is also in this casepreferably effected through the intermediary of a spring, such as 26.The other end of rocking lever 38 is connected in a similar manner tothe counterweight end of cable 14, the other end of said cable beingconnected, as shown, to one of the ends of another rocking lever 40,pivotally connected at 41 to a bracket 42, depending from plate 10. Theother end of said rocking lever 40 is connected to the elevator car endof cable 15, the other end of which is connected to one of the ends ofrocking lever 39, as shown. The other end of rocking lever 39 isconnected to the counterweight end of cable 16, the other end of whichis connected to one of the arms of a rocking lever 43, pivotallyconnected at 44, to a bracket 45, depending from plate 10.

Finally, the other arm of rocking lever 43 is connected to the elevatorcar end of cable 17, the other end of which is connected to the arm ofrocking lever 31, opposite to that connected to take-up element 12 ofcable 13.

In the arrangement shown, the shank portions of take-up elements extendthrough openings, such as 46, provided in plates 16, 11, said openingsbeing arranged in two spaced longitudinal series, as shown in Fig. 2,the openings of one series being in staggered relation to the openingsof the other series. This arrangement is employed in order to make itpossible for openings 46 to be longitudinally spaced from one another arelatively short distance, indicated by a, representing the distancebetween the grooves of the suspension drum (not shown), while thediagonal distance 1), between adjoining openings 46 is relatively muchgreater, the same corresponding to the distance between the pivotalbushings in opposite arms of the underlying rocking levers.

It will be seen that by virtue of the arrangement described, all the sixcables are connected in an endless succession by rocking levers 22, 40,43, 38, 39, 35, said rocking levers constituting connections betweensaid cables and elevator car and counterweight, and at the same timeacting as instantly responsive equalizing elements between the cablesconnected thereto.

The total load carried by the tackle is therefore uniformly distributedbetween the six cables. Should one of the cables break it would, ofcourse, be highly dangerous if thereby the load should become unevenlydistributed among the remaining cables, because one or more of thecables might then become subjected to excessive stresses, while theremaining cables might become relieved of all weight-carrying duties.Due to the closed circuit formation of the endless cable formed by thesix unitary cables, I assure a condition whereby should any one of thecables break, the remaining cables will still form, in eifect, acontinuous single cable, which although no longer of an endlesscharacter, would still effectively act to uniformly distribute the loadbetween its component units. This resulting new tackle would in effectthen be a single cable passing back and forth between the elevator carand the counterweight, each of its opposite ends becoming secured to oneof the two counterbalanced bodies.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be observed that the distance 0 between thetwo end openings 46' corresponds to the distance between the pivotalbushings in the arms of rocking lever 31.

My improved equalizing method of connecting all the various cable unitscomposing a suspension tackle of the character described can also beapplied in connection with tackles consisting of an uneven number ofunitary cables.

This possibility is shown in Figs. 5 to 7, in which the tackle comprisesfive unitary cables, 4'7, 48, 49, 50, 51, together forming in efiect asingle cable, the extreme ends of which, constituted by take-up elements52, 53, are connected to each other by the intermediary of auxiliaryrocking levers 54, 55, respectively interposed between take-up ele ment52 and rocking lever 56, which is interposed between the counterweightends of cables 50, 51, and between take-up element 53 and rockingelement 57, which is interposed between the elevator car ends of cables4'7, 48. Also in this case, due to the use of said auxiliary rockinglevers 54, 55, should one of the unitary cables break or otherwisebecome ineffective, the continuity of the remaining cables would not bedestroyed and the load would still be evenly distributed between saidremaining cables.

In Fig. 8, I illustrate the possibility of using two alternativefeatures in place of those previously described. In the same, 58designates the counterweight, 59 the elevator car top rail and 60 thegrooved suspension drum. Like in the case of Figs. 1 to 4, the tacklealso in this case comprises six unitary cables 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66,which are interconnected by various rocking levers, forming therewith anendless cable, as described in connection with Figs. 1 to 4.

However, in the present case, the various rock ing levers, designated bynumerals 67, 68, 69, 70, 71 and 72, are pivotally connected respectivelyto the upper ends of yokes 73, 74, '75, 76, '77, '78, upwardly extendingfrom the counterweight and car frame structures and the ends of theunitary cables are pivotally connected'to the arms of the rocking leversby take-up elements, such as 79, without the intermediary of springs orother resilient elements.

In practice, I prefer to provide resilient connections such asillustrated in Figs. 1 to 7, be cause they act as shock absorbers and,therefore, enhance the smooth riding qualities of the elevator system.

The constructional details of the structures described may vary fromthose shown without involving a departure from the inventive idea thedrawings, therefore, will be understood as being intended forillustrative purposes only and not in a limiting sense.

I accordingly reserve the right to carry my invention into practice inall those ways and manners which may enter, fairly, into the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with an elevator car, a counterweight therefor, andan operating drum interposed therebetween, of a plurality of cablesextending between said car and counterweight around the drum, and aplurality of equalizing elements on the car and counterweightrespectively connected to the ends of said cables so as to form a singleendless tackle running alter nately from one of the two first mentionedbodies to the other, all of the cables being thus connected at both endsto said equalizing elements.

2. In an elevator suspension system comprising an elevator car, acounterweight therefor, an operating drum interposed therebetween, aplurality of cables extending between said car and counterweight aroundthe drum, said cables being arranged in longitudinal series along saiddrum and comprising two outer cables and cables intermediatetherebetween and a plurality of equalizing elements on the car andcounterweight respectively connecting one end of each intermediate cableto the adjoining end of the adjoining cable at one side thereof, and theother end to the adjoining end of the adjoining cable at the other sidethereof, so as to form in effect a single tackle, an equalizing elementinterposed between and connecting the ends of the two outer cables notconnected to the intermediate cables adjoining thereto, to each other.

3. The combination with an elevator car, a counterweight therefor, andan operating drum interposed therebetween, of a plurality of cablesextending between said car and counterweight around the drum, aplurality of equalizing elements on the car and counterweightrespectively connected to the ends of said cables so as to form a singleendless tackle running alternately from one of the two first mentionedbodies to the other, all of the cables being thus connected at both endsto said equalizing elements, and shock absorbing means interposedbetween said cables and said equalizing elements.

4. The combination with an elevator car, a counterweight therefor, andan operating drum interposed therebetween, of a plurality of cablesextending between said car and counterweight around the drum, aplurality of equalizing elements on the car and counterweightrespectively connected to the ends of said cables so as to form a singleendless tackle running alternatively from one of the two first mentionedbodies to the other, all of the cables being thus connected at both endsto said equalizing elements, and springs interposed between said cablesand said equalizing elements.

5. The combination with an elevator car, a counterweight therefor, andan operating drum interposed therebetween of a plurality of cablesextending between said car and counterweight around the drum, aplurality of equalizing elements on the car and counterweightrespectively connected to the ends of said cables so as to form a singleendless tackle running alternately from one of the two first mentionedbodies to the other, all of the cables being thus connected at both endsto said equalizing elements, a take-up device forming part of theconnection between each cable end and the equalizing element connectedthereto, and shock absorbing means interposed between said take-updevices and said equalizing elements.

6. The combination with an elevator car, a counterweight therefor, andan operating drum interposed therebetween, of a plurality of cablesextending between said car and counterweight around the drum, and aplurality of equalizing levers pivotally mounted on the car andcounterweight respectively connected to the ends of said cables so as toform a single endless tackle running alternatelyfrom one of the twofirst mentioned bodies to the other, all of the cables being thusconnected at both ends to said equalizing levers.

7. The combination with an elevator car, a counterweight therefor, andan operating drum interposed therebetween, of a plurality of cablesextending between said car and counterweight around the drum, aplurality of equalizing levers pivotally mounted on the car andcounterweight respectively, slidably' connected to the ends of saidcables so as to form a single endless tackle running alternately fromone of the two first mentioned bodies to the other, all of the cablesbeing thus connected at both ends to said equalizing levers, a take-updevice forming part of the connection between each cable end and theequalizing lever connected thereto, and shock absorbing means interposedbetween said take-up devices and said equalizing levers.

PETER LA NEVE.

